PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) – This may come as little to no surprise to some Virginia drivers, but a new study, conducted by LendingTree, has found that Virginia has the most expensive interstate toll roads per mile.
The study looked at interstate and non-interstate roads, bridges and tunnels with data provided by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in order to calculate each state’s average maximum passenger vehicle fee per mile.
Virginia’s maximum fee was found to average around $3.27 a mile and is the only state in the country with an average higher than $2. A majority of the average comes the I-66 Inside the Beltway Express Lanes, with a $4.75 max fee, the third most expensive in the country.
| Rank | State | Average maximum passenger vehicle fee per mile |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | $3.27 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | $1.73 |
| 3 | Maine | $1.56 |
| 4 | California | $1.38 |
| 5 | Colorado | $1.36 |
| 6 | Washington | $0.71 |
| 7 | Texas | $0.66 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $0.63 |
| 9 | New York | $0.58 |
| 10 | Georgia | $0.49 |
Pennsylvania, the second most expensive state, comes in at $1.72 per mile. The study, however, noted that Pennsylvania has the most expensive toll per mile, with the bridge connecting the Pennsylvania Turnpike to the New Jersey Turnpike coming to an average maximum fee of $8.2 per mile.
Virginia was also found to have the highest average maximum fee per mile for interstate bridges and tunnels, with $7.5 per mile. New York ranks as the second most expensive, with an average of $4.38 per mile.
| Rank | State | Average maximum passenger vehicle fee per mile |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | $7.50 |
| 2 | New York | $4.38 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $3.72 |
| 4 | Kentucky | $2.89 |
| 4 | Indiana | $2.89 |
| 6 | California | $2.23 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | $1.74 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $1.28 |
| 9 | Michigan | $0.91 |
| 10 | Delaware | $0.80 |
The Elizabeth River Downtown Tunnel, headed towards Portsmouth, contributed most to the average, with a $7.5 maximum, the third most expensive bridge/tunnel toll nationwide.
According to LendingTree, high toll costs could also impact auto insurance rates. Higher tolls typically indicate more traffic congestion and more accidents, which could cause insurers to adjust premiums.
“Broadly, higher tolls are one more thing that adds to the growing cost of vehicle ownership,” auto insurance expert Rob Bhatt said. “Gas prices have come down from their peaks, but they’re still high. Car insurance rates have seen pretty dramatic rises over the past few years. The costs of car maintenance and repairs have also shot up in recent years.”
For more information on the study, visit LendingTree’s website here.